This new math involved another aspect of the handshakes called the burst frequency offset, or BFO, a measure of changes in the signal's wavelength, which is partly determined by the relative motion of the airplane and the satellite. That the whole southern arc lay over the Indian Ocean meant that all the passengers and crew would certainly be dead by now. This was the first time in history that the families of missing passengers had been asked to accept that their loved ones were dead because a secret math equation said so.

This "secret math equation" is the Doppler effect, which you should have learned about in secondary school. The question itself is quoted below.

In your NY Magazine article, you describe the Doppler Effect as a "secret math equation." Why? Did you skip that day of secondary school?

Snarky yes, but snark is good, remember? Anyway, the question won't be answered as Gawker dismissed the question.